Greenswamp wma hunters
07-23-2013, 05:56 PM
#193
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Orlando
Posts: 7
Greetings!
I've been stalking this site from the shadows for a number of months now and figured I should take the opportunity to say hello! I've got a ton of questions... So I apologize in advance, I'll try not to ask a question that's already been answered in this thread! Arming myself with knowledge to keep my hunt as safe as possible.
A bit about me.
I'm a disabled US Marine recently medically retired a few years back. Currently living in Orlando. Haven't been hunting stateside since I joined the Corps and all of my hunting experience during that time has been in Montana and the Mojave desert. Hunts in Iraq, Afghan and North Africa don't count... LOL I'm a complete rookie to hunting this part of the US but no stranger to the jungle or other inclement landscapes.
I was doing some research on Toso and Huntnma recommended that I apply for a quota and to include a few other areas... Looks as though I'm locked on for Green Swamp (1140) I'm assuming that's first Phase 11/23-11/26? What does that mean exactly when it comes to Green Swamp? Does that include all of the GS area or only the East, West or Withlacoochee tracts?
I'd like to get started on scouting, like within the next two weeks... are these areas open for scouting this early? As I'm not familiar with the AO I'll be scouting during day light hours. I'm getting my hands on some 1-10,000 military grid topo maps & LiDAR data on the area to add to my Google sat images and WMA map from the web. Are there any local maps available that are worth getting my hands on? I'm plotting my GPS points in advance on the areas that I think I'm interested in scouting; last thing I want to do is end up lost and on the news... Montana and the Mojave areas are easy to pick out familiar land marks. I'm guessing that isn't the case so much in this area? Maybe specific bends in the water systems?
All my previous hunts have been stalks, I've never hunted from a tree stand. I've been looking at the summit climbing systems which seem to be good to go. Personally, I can't tell the difference from a Cabelas, Cougar Claw or a Summit... Any recommendations? With long hike-ins, I don't think I want to hump one of these in every time. How do you all secure your gear to a tree so that it won't find itself a new owner?
Hunting Elk in Montana and needing some knock down power at distance I normally use my rem 700 in 300WM. I think that might be a bit too much for the game in Florida. My only other options are .308, 5.56, or 12ga Slugs. I'm positive that .308 is good to go with most game in the lower 48 as well as the 12ga slugs. Any thoughts on 5.56? Understood that steel core, non-expanding rounds are a no go...
How friendly are the rangers at the check in stations? I've run across a few in my time that are all about just sucking up a pay check. Hoping the folks here in the South are as friendly as y'all in this forum.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my post. Looking forward to swapping gouge on the "do's and dont's" in this AO and building a relationship with this community.
S/F
usmc556mm
I've been stalking this site from the shadows for a number of months now and figured I should take the opportunity to say hello! I've got a ton of questions... So I apologize in advance, I'll try not to ask a question that's already been answered in this thread! Arming myself with knowledge to keep my hunt as safe as possible.
A bit about me.
I'm a disabled US Marine recently medically retired a few years back. Currently living in Orlando. Haven't been hunting stateside since I joined the Corps and all of my hunting experience during that time has been in Montana and the Mojave desert. Hunts in Iraq, Afghan and North Africa don't count... LOL I'm a complete rookie to hunting this part of the US but no stranger to the jungle or other inclement landscapes.
I was doing some research on Toso and Huntnma recommended that I apply for a quota and to include a few other areas... Looks as though I'm locked on for Green Swamp (1140) I'm assuming that's first Phase 11/23-11/26? What does that mean exactly when it comes to Green Swamp? Does that include all of the GS area or only the East, West or Withlacoochee tracts?
I'd like to get started on scouting, like within the next two weeks... are these areas open for scouting this early? As I'm not familiar with the AO I'll be scouting during day light hours. I'm getting my hands on some 1-10,000 military grid topo maps & LiDAR data on the area to add to my Google sat images and WMA map from the web. Are there any local maps available that are worth getting my hands on? I'm plotting my GPS points in advance on the areas that I think I'm interested in scouting; last thing I want to do is end up lost and on the news... Montana and the Mojave areas are easy to pick out familiar land marks. I'm guessing that isn't the case so much in this area? Maybe specific bends in the water systems?
All my previous hunts have been stalks, I've never hunted from a tree stand. I've been looking at the summit climbing systems which seem to be good to go. Personally, I can't tell the difference from a Cabelas, Cougar Claw or a Summit... Any recommendations? With long hike-ins, I don't think I want to hump one of these in every time. How do you all secure your gear to a tree so that it won't find itself a new owner?
Hunting Elk in Montana and needing some knock down power at distance I normally use my rem 700 in 300WM. I think that might be a bit too much for the game in Florida. My only other options are .308, 5.56, or 12ga Slugs. I'm positive that .308 is good to go with most game in the lower 48 as well as the 12ga slugs. Any thoughts on 5.56? Understood that steel core, non-expanding rounds are a no go...
How friendly are the rangers at the check in stations? I've run across a few in my time that are all about just sucking up a pay check. Hoping the folks here in the South are as friendly as y'all in this forum.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my post. Looking forward to swapping gouge on the "do's and dont's" in this AO and building a relationship with this community.
S/F
usmc556mm
Last edited by usmc556mm; 07-23-2013 at 05:58 PM.
07-23-2013, 08:02 PM
#194
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Central Fl
Posts: 219
Greetings!
I've been stalking this site from the shadows for a number of months now and figured I should take the opportunity to say hello! I've got a ton of questions... So I apologize in advance, I'll try not to ask a question that's already been answered in this thread! Arming myself with knowledge to keep my hunt as safe as possible.
A bit about me.
I'm a disabled US Marine recently medically retired a few years back. Currently living in Orlando. Haven't been hunting stateside since I joined the Corps and all of my hunting experience during that time has been in Montana and the Mojave desert. Hunts in Iraq, Afghan and North Africa don't count... LOL I'm a complete rookie to hunting this part of the US but no stranger to the jungle or other inclement landscapes.
I was doing some research on Toso and Huntnma recommended that I apply for a quota and to include a few other areas... Looks as though I'm locked on for Green Swamp (1140) I'm assuming that's first Phase 11/23-11/26? What does that mean exactly when it comes to Green Swamp? Does that include all of the GS area or only the East, West or Withlacoochee tracts?
I'd like to get started on scouting, like within the next two weeks... are these areas open for scouting this early? As I'm not familiar with the AO I'll be scouting during day light hours. I'm getting my hands on some 1-10,000 military grid topo maps & LiDAR data on the area to add to my Google sat images and WMA map from the web. Are there any local maps available that are worth getting my hands on? I'm plotting my GPS points in advance on the areas that I think I'm interested in scouting; last thing I want to do is end up lost and on the news... Montana and the Mojave areas are easy to pick out familiar land marks. I'm guessing that isn't the case so much in this area? Maybe specific bends in the water systems?
All my previous hunts have been stalks, I've never hunted from a tree stand. I've been looking at the summit climbing systems which seem to be good to go. Personally, I can't tell the difference from a Cabelas, Cougar Claw or a Summit... Any recommendations? With long hike-ins, I don't think I want to hump one of these in every time. How do you all secure your gear to a tree so that it won't find itself a new owner?
Hunting Elk in Montana and needing some knock down power at distance I normally use my rem 700 in 300WM. I think that might be a bit too much for the game in Florida. My only other options are .308, 5.56, or 12ga Slugs. I'm positive that .308 is good to go with most game in the lower 48 as well as the 12ga slugs. Any thoughts on 5.56? Understood that steel core, non-expanding rounds are a no go...
How friendly are the rangers at the check in stations? I've run across a few in my time that are all about just sucking up a pay check. Hoping the folks here in the South are as friendly as y'all in this forum.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my post. Looking forward to swapping gouge on the "do's and dont's" in this AO and building a relationship with this community.
S/F
usmc556mm
I've been stalking this site from the shadows for a number of months now and figured I should take the opportunity to say hello! I've got a ton of questions... So I apologize in advance, I'll try not to ask a question that's already been answered in this thread! Arming myself with knowledge to keep my hunt as safe as possible.
A bit about me.
I'm a disabled US Marine recently medically retired a few years back. Currently living in Orlando. Haven't been hunting stateside since I joined the Corps and all of my hunting experience during that time has been in Montana and the Mojave desert. Hunts in Iraq, Afghan and North Africa don't count... LOL I'm a complete rookie to hunting this part of the US but no stranger to the jungle or other inclement landscapes.
I was doing some research on Toso and Huntnma recommended that I apply for a quota and to include a few other areas... Looks as though I'm locked on for Green Swamp (1140) I'm assuming that's first Phase 11/23-11/26? What does that mean exactly when it comes to Green Swamp? Does that include all of the GS area or only the East, West or Withlacoochee tracts?
I'd like to get started on scouting, like within the next two weeks... are these areas open for scouting this early? As I'm not familiar with the AO I'll be scouting during day light hours. I'm getting my hands on some 1-10,000 military grid topo maps & LiDAR data on the area to add to my Google sat images and WMA map from the web. Are there any local maps available that are worth getting my hands on? I'm plotting my GPS points in advance on the areas that I think I'm interested in scouting; last thing I want to do is end up lost and on the news... Montana and the Mojave areas are easy to pick out familiar land marks. I'm guessing that isn't the case so much in this area? Maybe specific bends in the water systems?
All my previous hunts have been stalks, I've never hunted from a tree stand. I've been looking at the summit climbing systems which seem to be good to go. Personally, I can't tell the difference from a Cabelas, Cougar Claw or a Summit... Any recommendations? With long hike-ins, I don't think I want to hump one of these in every time. How do you all secure your gear to a tree so that it won't find itself a new owner?
Hunting Elk in Montana and needing some knock down power at distance I normally use my rem 700 in 300WM. I think that might be a bit too much for the game in Florida. My only other options are .308, 5.56, or 12ga Slugs. I'm positive that .308 is good to go with most game in the lower 48 as well as the 12ga slugs. Any thoughts on 5.56? Understood that steel core, non-expanding rounds are a no go...
How friendly are the rangers at the check in stations? I've run across a few in my time that are all about just sucking up a pay check. Hoping the folks here in the South are as friendly as y'all in this forum.
Thanks again for taking the time to read my post. Looking forward to swapping gouge on the "do's and dont's" in this AO and building a relationship with this community.
S/F
usmc556mm
07-24-2013, 07:58 PM
#195
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: THE BOONEDOCKS
Posts: 454
Summit climbin treestands are definitely the way to go...lightweight n quiet...the Green Swamp is purty rough terrain...The bucks in the Green Swamp are among the smartest ya will ever see...i believe this is due to the fact of the huntin pressure in there through the years...there are many people that hunt the greenswamp n dont score...prepare to work hard possibly harder than ya ever have huntin to knock one down in Greenswamp...
07-24-2013, 08:09 PM
#196
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: THE BOONEDOCKS
Posts: 454
I finally broke down n got me a game cam n may get another before long...i got drawn for GSW last gun hunt mainly got it for there seein as i gotta track down 8 point or better bucks...aint put it out yet been out there scoutin twice...so far seen 29 hogs 14 does n 3 bucks 2 of which were shooters i know one for sure was a purty wide 9 ...I will pry set mine in GSE come archery...
08-11-2013, 07:58 PM
#197
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Central Fl
Posts: 219
Well I got one of my cams put up today. I planned to put both out almost had a heat stroke after about 30+ miles of biking and scouting. I saw 2 big deer today one was a doe for sure and the other I couldn't tell because the rad was in a shadow. As I was walking down a trail to put my cam up I had 8+ hogs come plowing right past me. They were so close that I got behind my bike for a little protetion ( within 10 ft of me). IT IS WET! I had to walk through knee deep water in spots and 90% of my trail was under water. So be careful out there guys. I will be back soon to put my other cam out.
08-17-2013, 08:10 AM
#199
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: THE BOONEDOCKS
Posts: 454
Well i found me a spot to set my new game cam up at GSW hopefully i can get some good bucks on there...seems there wasnt much deer movement after that rain early this mornin not many fresh tracks...seen 2 does n a small basket rack buck, seems last winter the bucks didnt do much rubbin because im havin a heck of a time findin ol rublines few years back thast place was rubbed up all over ...hogs on the other hand were all over seen 11 today...lotta standin water couple gators n a big boy cottonmouth...got in n out by 11am its was real muggy even with the cloud cover...
08-17-2013, 03:53 PM
#200
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 25,116
I scouted an area in Three Lakes ..walked up on a 200 pound hog..found a great hog site but was wore out very fast...forgot how much energy it takes to scout ..not as wet as I thought it would be.
also saw 2 fox squirrels
1 spotted fawn
quail
dove
and 1 bobcat
about 100 cows/bulls roaming the swamp as well.
not nearly as wet as I thought it would be..but some roads were undrivable..
also saw 2 fox squirrels
1 spotted fawn
quail
dove
and 1 bobcat
about 100 cows/bulls roaming the swamp as well.
not nearly as wet as I thought it would be..but some roads were undrivable..